Extracurricular activities for students

After leaving school or university, you know that you’ll need more than just straight As to secure a better future.

This is why you need to make the most of your opportunities to pursue extracurricular activities during your time in school and university, as these activities can help you strike a healthy balance between your studies and social life.

Moreover, being actively involved in them can make your resume look good.

Here are some benefits that you are able to get by participating in extracurricular activities:

A break from your studies

From completing homework and assignments, as well as revising for exams, students don’t seem to have enough time to rest in between.

However, pursuing extracurricular activities can be a welcome distraction for stress relief.

Depending on your interest, it also gives you the chance to go outside and exercise, meet your friends, spend time on your hobby, and refresh your mind.

In the era of digital technology, engaging yourself in extracurricular activities can reduce distractions from your phone or laptop.

Build skills outside the classroom

Being actively involved in extracurricular activities is great for developing transferable soft skills.

For instance, if you participate in basketball or public speaking, among the transferable skills that you will gain include communications, teamwork, leadership, flexibility, and adaptability as well as problem-solving.

Additionally, by juggling multiple activities, you can improve your time management skills and boost your confidence, while finding an area you enjoy or excel at.

Develop other interests

Students typically have the opportunity to explore a wide range of study areas through their academic subjects. However, joining extra-curricular activities will allow you to discover and develop interests further than what you can learn in class.

You might also find a completely new interest that you otherwise won’t have been exposed to in the classroom such as photography, filmmaking, and the performing arts. These newly found interests enable you to broaden your mind and skill-set, which can be useful when you get involved in certain volunteering activities or later in your future career.

Help you grow

Getting involved in extracurricular activities is essentially an opportunity for you to grow as a person.

First off, because you’re spending time with different groups of people, you’ll learn to interact and socialise with different personalities.

While working with them, you’ll learn to understand and empathise with the priorities of others.

When given responsibilities, you’ll learn to become more accountable and scrupulous in the way you carry them out.

And where you’re faced with a competition, you’ll learn how to motivate yourself to work hard and strive for excellence.

This is a weekly column by SarawakYES! – an initiative driven by Faradale Media-M Sdn Bhd and supported by Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM) Sarawak – to provide advice and stories on the topics of education and careers to support Sarawakians seeking to achieve their dreams. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

First published in the Borneo Post online on 14th March 2020: http://bit.ly/2xz108G